Afghanistan’s first ‘election museum’ opens in Bamyan

BAMYAN CITY (Pajhwok): A fist-of-its-kind ‘Election Museum’ that chronicles Afghanistan’s electoral journey with photographs, documents and technical items was inaugurated in central Bamyan province on Tuesday.

The museum was officially inaugurated by chiefs of electoral bodies and members from Afghanistan and Asian countries in Bamyan City, the provincial capital.

Photos of electoral proceedings, ballot papers, election calendars and technical items -- such as satellite telephones, cameras, hand torches, colors and ballot boxes – have been put on display at the election museum, the first of its kind in Afghanistan.

He said next year’s parliamentary and district council elections would be held in a ‘transparent’ and ‘just’ manner and all eligible voters would be given new voter cards as the previous cards had been declared void and wouldn’t be used in the elections.

Ali Shah Misbah, IEC head for Bamyan, said Bamyan people had always participated in elections with enthusiasm and 42 percent female voter turnout in the last presidential election was unprecedented.